The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
Most mobile handheld electronic devices such as tablet computers, smartphones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are network enabled and allow a mobile user to access information over a public network such as the Internet. For example, users can receive electronic mail (email) and web content via their smartphones and tablets. Moreover, mobile handheld devices can support mobile applications so that users can manipulate data, retrieve and send information, and save and create files. In many ways, mobile handheld devices are replacing fixed location components and bulkier laptop computers.
By their nature, mobile handheld devices establish network connectivity via a mobile wireless network, e.g., a cellular telephone network. Because wireless network connectivity relies on radio wave transmissions, depending on the location of the device, network connectivity can be weak if not altogether nonexistent. For example, in underground transit stations or in remote mountainous areas, most mobile handheld devices have little or no network capabilities. In some circumstances, network connectivity can be weak or lost in particular neighborhoods or streets. Accordingly, most mobile handheld devices inherently have intermittent network connectivity depending on the location of the device. In most situations, however, intermittent network connectivity is tolerated because many features of the mobile handheld device are not typically dependent on a sustained network connection.
In the workplace, employers often provide employees with one or more mobile handheld devices for work related purposes. In this way, employees can be outside of the corporate office and still have access to email, voice mail, and other corporate information. Nevertheless, because the device has intermittent network connectivity, accessing corporate information from a database system can be difficult or impossible. For example, a document or file retrieved from a database often includes references to, or include links to, one or more related files or documents. When the user reviews the retrieved file and wishes to review a related file or document by selecting the associated link, access to that information can be delayed when network connectivity is lost. Accordingly, the user must move to another location with network connectivity in order to retrieve the related information. In some situations, however, the user cannot move to another location; for example, when the user is attending a meeting in a room without a wireless network. In this situation, access to the related information using the mobile handheld device is effectively impossible.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide techniques for providing information from a database system to a mobile handheld device having intermittent network connectivity.